AGRAVIS oil centre expects increasing demand

The AGRAVIS oil centre in Emden is expecting increasing throughput this year. The background to this is the fact that since the start of the year tankers are no longer loaded at the Wilhelmshaven location.

However, AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG values the fact that the tank farm in Wilhelmshaven is still extensively in operation, according to information from the Raffinerie company there, and tankers will start loading there again directly, as soon as there is demand in the market again.

"We expect our throughput to increase considerably as a result," says Maike Hanssen, head of the AGRAVIS oil centre in Emden.

In order to be able to respond to this demand from filling stations, hauliers and oil traders, the AGRAVIS oil centre wants to invest further in its infrastructure. "We need what is called a bottom loading system", explains Maike Hanssen. Many of the new tanker trucks are now filled in a closed system from the side. At the AGRAVIS oil centre, diesel and heating oil still currently flow from above into the vehicles' tanks.

The result of increasing sales will then also be increased deliveries of raw materials by ship. At present there are three deliveries by ship a week to the AGRAVIS oil centre industrial port im Emder during peak periods. A heating oil vessel carries around 1,200 cubic metres, a diesel vessel 1,500 cubic metres.

The AGRAVIS oil centre has storage capacities of 4,800 cubic metres for diesel and 1,500 cubic metres for heating oil. The concrete containers surrounding the two storage tanks were extensively refurbished in summer 2014.

Already two years ago, the oil centre invested in a night loading system. "It has been very well received," says Maike Hanssen. As a result, drivers can purchase the desired amount of fuel after authorized admission to the site and subsequent card approval also outside the actual opening hours. If there are any problems, the oil centre can also be reached around the clock via an emergency phone number. At present, around 500 cubic metres are sold every day using the night loading system.

Currently, around 100,000 cubic metres of diesel and roughly 20,000 cubic metres of heating oil are loaded at the oil centre Emden every year. The oil centre is both the storage location for wholesale, for independent retailers and for the AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG retain business.